Esophageal cancer is one of the malignant tumors that poses a threat to human health, with both high incidence and malignancy. Currently, surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer; however, the long-term prognosis remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, inhibitors of programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (programmed death ligand-1, PD-L1) have achieved breakthrough progress in other solid tumors, and research on esophageal cancer is gradually being conducted. With the demonstration of good efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced unresectable esophageal cancer, their incorporation into neoadjuvant treatment regimens has become a hot topic. Therefore, this article reviews the mechanism of action of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and their application in the neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer.

AIM:A strain was isolated and identified as the H3N8 subtype of the avian influenza virus from a sick chicken at a farm in Yangjiang,Guangdong Province,named A/chicken/Yangjiang/552/2023(abbreviated as YJ/552).The aim of this research is to determine its genetic evolution,biological properties and pathogenicity in hamsters.This study may provide a theoretical strategy for preventing and treating the H3N8 subtype avian influenza virus-induced epidemic.METHODS:A strain of H3N8 avian influenza virus from chickens was characterised by phylogenetic analy-sis,antigenic diversity,receptor-binding specificity,neuraminidase activity,replication,and transmission in hamsters and a systematic pathological analysis was conducted.RESULTS:This novel avian influenza virus was generated through complex recombination of Eurasian avian H3 genes,North American avian N8 genes and six internal genes of H9N2 sub-type AIV.The cleavage site of the outer protein,HA,was PEKQTR↓GLF,which is characteristic of the low pathogenic avian influenza virus.The HA gene of YJ/552 exhibited the highest nucleotide homology with A/China/ZMD-22-2/2022(H3N8)at 99.09%,while the NA gene showed the highest homology with A/chicken/Dongguan/879/2022(H3N8)at 99.01%.This strain preferentially binds to avian-type receptors and could bind to human-type receptors.This virus could effectively replicate in the trachea and lungs of inoculated and contact hamsters.CONCLUSION:YJ/552 is a recombi-nant H3N8 avian influenza virus replicated in the upper respiratory system and transmitted in hamsters.This study pro-vides data support for the early warning and prevention of H3 subtype avian influenza viruses.

AIM:A strain was isolated and identified as the H3N8 subtype of the avian influenza virus from a sick chicken at a farm in Yangjiang,Guangdong Province,named A/chicken/Yangjiang/552/2023(abbreviated as YJ/552).The aim of this research is to determine its genetic evolution,biological properties and pathogenicity in hamsters.This study may provide a theoretical strategy for preventing and treating the H3N8 subtype avian influenza virus-induced epidemic.METHODS:A strain of H3N8 avian influenza virus from chickens was characterised by phylogenetic analy-sis,antigenic diversity,receptor-binding specificity,neuraminidase activity,replication,and transmission in hamsters and a systematic pathological analysis was conducted.RESULTS:This novel avian influenza virus was generated through complex recombination of Eurasian avian H3 genes,North American avian N8 genes and six internal genes of H9N2 sub-type AIV.The cleavage site of the outer protein,HA,was PEKQTR↓GLF,which is characteristic of the low pathogenic avian influenza virus.The HA gene of YJ/552 exhibited the highest nucleotide homology with A/China/ZMD-22-2/2022(H3N8)at 99.09%,while the NA gene showed the highest homology with A/chicken/Dongguan/879/2022(H3N8)at 99.01%.This strain preferentially binds to avian-type receptors and could bind to human-type receptors.This virus could effectively replicate in the trachea and lungs of inoculated and contact hamsters.CONCLUSION:YJ/552 is a recombi-nant H3N8 avian influenza virus replicated in the upper respiratory system and transmitted in hamsters.This study pro-vides data support for the early warning and prevention of H3 subtype avian influenza viruses.

Surgery is the preferred treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, but in locally advanced esophageal cancer, the effect of surgery alone is not ideal, so surgery-based comprehensive treatment is the best option. Neoadjuvant therapy has become a standard treatment in the treatment of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiochemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, etc. With the significant efficacy and acceptable toxicity of immunotherapy in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has become a research hotspot of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. This article reviews the latest research progress and some limitations of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer.

Objective Toinvestigate the related risk factors of newly diagnosed diabetes among residents aged over 40 years in Nanjing City , and to provide evidence for diabetes prevention. Methods The clinical data were collected from the diabetes epidemiologic investigation among residents aged 40 -79 years from 6 communities in Nanjing City. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the potential risk factors for newly diagnosed diabetes. Results The prevalence rate of new diagnosed diabetes from 8039 subjects was 10.87%. A higher prevalence rate of new diagnosed diabetes was found in male than that in female (13.15% vs. 9.74%, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the main risk factors for newly diagnosed diabetes were male, age, family history, body mass index (BMI) and less physical activity after adjusting other factors (adjusted OR 1.339-1.862, P < 0.05). Conclusions Male, age, family history, body mass index (BMI) and less physical activity may be the main risk factors for diabetes among residents in Nanjing City.

Objective To approach the changes of cytosol phospholipase A2α(cPLA2α)and nitric oxide (NO)in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)and its significance. Methods One hundred patients with COPD admitted into Department of Critical Care Medicine of Affiliated Wuqing Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Hospital of Tianjin University of TCM were enrolled,and according to the COPD severity grading standards,they were divided into mild group(25 cases),moderate group(25 cases),severe group(26 cases) and extremely severe group(24 cases);simultaneously,90 cases with normal pulmonary function who had taken health examination were chosen and assigned to the healthy control group. The cPLA2α level was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),the level of uric acid(UA),total cholesterol(TC),triacylglycerol (TG)were detected by enzymatic method,and serum NO metabolites(NOx)level was detected by nitrate reductase method. Results Compared with the healthy control group,the serum levels of cPLA2α and UA in patients with different severity of COPD were significantly increased;along with the increase of patient's COPD grade of severity,the cPLA2α,UA levels were gradually increased,while NOx level was gradually decreased in mild, moderate, severe, extremely severe groups〔cPLA2α(ng/L):125.60±8.17, 155.20±6.42, 190.20±9.32, 255.80±11.28 vs. 88.50±7.99;UA(μmol/L):381.23±32.22,434.95±87.71,464.81±52.65,487.45±82.61 vs. 241.95±52.33;NOx(μmol/L):59.90±17.52,45.60±6.17,38.20±4.08,25.70±3.04 vs. 74.90±18.31,all P<0.05〕. The differences in blood cPLA2αand serum NOx level among groups with different severity of COPD were of statistical significance(P<0.05). The levels of TC,TG among these different severity groups had no statistical significance(all P>0.05). The cPLA2αand NOx levels presented significant negative correlation(rs=-0.798,P=0.013). Conclusion The combined examination of blood cPLA2αand serum NOx levels can evaluate the severity degree of COPD patients,and cPLA2αcan be used as a new target index for COPD grading.